implementation guide - johns hopkins university...2017/07/21 · faith representatives (from all...

FEAST for the FUTURE PROGRAM

VERSION: SEPTEMBER 2016 © JHU CAIH

Implementation Guide

© JHU CAIH Feast for the Future 2016

Feast for the Future

Implementation Guide

INTRODUCTION

This Implementation Guide is a “how-to” guide for implementing the Feast for the Future Program.

It includes information about the Feast for the Future history and its impact on communities, as

well as a description of the essential components and processes for successfully implementing the

program.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................... 1

SECTION 1. PROGRAM OVERVIEW, HISTORY, AIMS ....................................................... 2

PROGRAM OVERVIEW AND HISTORY PROGRAM AIMS

SECTION 2. CONCEPTUAL MODEL AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK .............................. 4

CONCEPTUAL MODEL AND THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

SECTION 3. IMPLEMENTING FEAST FOR THE FUTURE .................................................... 7

COMMUNITY ADVISORY BOARD CHECKLISTS TO DETERMINE PROGRAM COMPONENTS

SECTION 4. PROGRAM EVALUATION STRATEGIES ....................................................... 14

EVALUATION RESULTS PURPOSE AND AIMS OF EVALUATION GUIDE TO EVALUATING FEAST FOR THE FUTURE PROGRAMS IN YOUR COMMUNITY EVALUATION EXAMPLES

CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 19

REFERENCES ............................................................................................................ 20

© JHU CAIH Feast for the Future 2016 1

Preface and Acknowledgments

The Feast for the Future Program is an innovative and holistic initiative designed and implemented by the Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health in partnership with the Santo Domingo Pueblo, the Tuba City community on the Navajo (Diné) Nation, and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. Feast for the Future consists of community-envisioned programs to promote nutrition, healthy food access, and Native communities’ capacity to reintroduce healthy indigenous foods, diets, agriculture, and meal preparation.

This Implementation Guide provides in-depth information about the Feast for the Future Program’s background, history, development, and impact, as well as details about how to implement the program. It is organized into the following sections:

Section 1: Program Overview, History, and Aims

Section 2: Conceptual Model and Theoretical Framework

Section 3: Implementing Feast for the Future

Section 4: Program Evaluation Strategies

We would like to express our appreciation to the many people who have contributed to the development

of the Feast for the Future Program. We are deeply grateful to our partnering Native communities whose

input, guidance, wisdom, and spirit were invaluable to the evolution of the program. We are grateful to

the many funder who have supported Feast for the Future and also acknowledge our colleagues at Johns

Hopkins University and partnering institutions. Finally, and most importantly, we extend heartfelt thanks

to the children, families, farmers, elders, teachers, school administrators and community members who

have participated in the Feast for the Future Program. We honor their commitment to strengthening their

families and communities through improved nutrition and revitalization of traditional agricultural

practices.

2 © JHU CAIH Feast for the Future 2016

Section 1.

Program Overview, History, and Aims

Program Overview and History

The Johns Hopkins Center for American Indian Health (JHCAIH) has a long-standing partnership with Native communities in the Southwest. Several communities collaborated with JHCAIH on the Feast for the Future Program (FFF): Santo Domingo Pueblo; the Tuba City community on the Navajo (Diné) Nation; and the White Mountain Apache Tribe. To launch Feast for the Future, in 2009 the JHCAIH and community stakeholders at each site engaged in a rigorous “Community Visioning” process to create a community-driven plan for promoting children’s and families’ broad-based nutrition and healthy foods access. National consultants in the areas of pediatrics, nutrition, food distribution, agricultural restoration and community and school gardening were engaged to share expertise with each community. The final meeting of the national and local Community Visioning Boards was in March 2010 in Santa Fe, New Mexico, where detailed community plans for each of the three pilot sites were developed. Based on these plans, six Feast for the Future program components were developed and implemented:

Edible School Garden Program o A school-based program that teaches 3rd-5th graders the fundamentals of nutrition and

gardening/farming, and meets the Common Core Standards set by the states of New Mexico and Arizona in Math, Reading, Science, Language Arts, and Social Studies.

Traditional Foodways Education Program o A program focused on traditional foodways that is primarily taught by elders and farmers

in the community to youth aged 5-18, and emphasizes traditional language instruction.

Community Gardens, Orchards, and Greenhouses o Community-appropriate places to develop traditional agricultural foodways, including

gardens, orchards and greenhouses that are maintained in collaboration with local partners.

Farmers Markets o Farmers markets developed, implemented, and sustained to increase access to local

healthy foods for the community, and contribute to local farmers.

Farmers Workshops o A series of regular (monthly or quarterly) farmers workshops designed to build and share

capacity for local farmers to efficiently produce healthy, fresh foods by sharing traditional and contemporary wisdom.

Family Gardens* o Individual families and households develop home gardens to improve access to local,

fresh foods.


*Note: the family gardens were developed only with the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

Program Aims

The overarching goal of the Feast for the Future Program is to reduce the incidence and prevalence of

obesity and obesity-related diseases among American Indian families.

The strategic objectives are to:

1. Increase gardening and nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

2. Increase sustainable practice of traditional farming and capacity building.

3. Increase access and availability of healthy foods.

All program activities are guided by a Community Advisory Board in each participating community. Each Board meets on a monthly to quarterly basis depending on the site to review program activities and provide direction and guidance on all Feast for the Future components.


Section 2.

Conceptual Model and Theoretical Foundation

Conceptual Model and Theoretical Foundation

The six Feast for the Future program components make up a sustainable, holistic model that is replicable

in other communities.

Figure 1 on the following page represents a conceptual framework that illustrates how these components

work together to impact the entire community, including youth, families, farmers and elders.

The Feast for the Future Program is based on communication theories and framed within a Social

Ecological Model (SEM) (Bronfenbrenner, 1977). A SEM represents the multifaceted and interactive

effects of personal and environmental factors that determine behaviors (see Figure 2). Three public

health communication theories explain the pathways to behavior change for the Feast for the Future

activities, and have guided the evaluation of the program. Feast for the Future activities aim to influence

individuals, families and communities while creating an enabling environment for behavior and social

change. The most effective public health promotion programs use a combination of theories and

approaches that address multiple levels of a SEM.

The three guiding theories for the Feast for the Future Program are:

1. Trans theoretical Model/Stages of Change

Based on research that behavior change happens by progressing through different stages, the Trans

theoretical Model describes these stages and processes, which allows us to better understand the

behavior change of Feast for the Future program participants (Prochaska, Redding, & Evers, 2015). The

program activities are designed to move individuals and communities through stages of change toward

sustained positive behaviors.

2. Social Cognitive Theory

The Edible School Garden lesson plans are carefully structured to incorporate various constructs of the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT). The SCT is a widely used model among nutrition education programs and has been found to be effective at improving nutrition knowledge, attitudes, and self-efficacy among the targeted audience of 3rd-5th grade students in numerous programs and studies (Contento, 2007). The SCT posits that a participant’s outcome expectations and self-efficacy are substantial determinants of health behavior (Bandura, 2001). The aim in using the SCT as a theoretical framework in the Edible School Garden Program is to increase self-efficacy, social norms, and physical outcomes by creating opportunities for fun, active participation, and learning. The lesson plan discussions and activities concurrently seek to instill behavioral capabilities comprised of knowledge and skills needed to make healthy nutrition choices and improve gardening capacity among participating students.

3. Diffusion of Innovations

Diffusion of Innovations Theory is used to explain how an innovation (e.g., farmers markets; community

gardening) spreads and is adopted by individuals and communities over time, based on several constructs

including the relative advantage of the innovation, its compatibility, and simplicity. To increase adoption


of the innovation(s), the program activities draw on community strengths to ensure the innovation(s) are

compatible with individuals and communities, easy to understand, and are advantageous to the

community.

Figure 1. Feast for the Future Program Conceptual Framework

The figure below is a conceptual framework that illustrates how the Feast for the Future Program

components work together to impact the entire community, including youth, families, farmers, and

elders.


Figure 2. Feast for the Future within the Social Ecological Model

The figure below shows how the Feast for the Future Program components align with a Social Ecological Model. The program activities aim to influence individuals, families and communities, while creating an

enabling environment for behavior and social change.

Source: Adapted from: Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32(7), 513-531.

Policy/Enabling Environment

(national, state, local laws)

Organizational

(organizations and social institutions)

Community

(relationships between organizations)

Interpersonal

(families, friends, social networks)

Individual

(knowledge, attitudes, behaviors)

Develop tribal, state, and federal policies to increase access to healthy

foods and FFF Programs.

Create social mobilization of schools, tribal governments and tribal

programs.

Engage multiple community partners to engage in FFF Programs.

Behavior and Social Change Communication through FFF

Program.

Individual change through Edible School Garden Program & Traditional Foodways

Education Program.


Section 3. Implementing Feast for the Future

Forming a Community Advisory Board

The first critical step in developing the Feast for the Future Program is establishing a Community Advisory Board. A Community Advisory Board (CAB) provides vision and leadership for the development of the Feast for the Future Program. Board members are asked to lend their hearts, minds, and hands to create an innovative and engaging community-based program focused on revitalizing traditional food systems and preventing obesity and diabetes. The CAB is a key element to ensure ownership and sustainability of the Feast for the Future Program by the community. This section includes information on how to establish a Community Advisory Board to guide programming, including identifying the potential board members, planning and facilitating the first CAB informational meeting, and following-up with the CAB to ensure sustainability.

1. Identify the kinds of individuals that you will recruit to be on the board.

Members of the Feast for the Future CAB should have:

A passion for ensuring Native youth and families have access to healthy food and resources for nutrition and exercise;

A commitment to excellence in developing culturally appropriate and scientifically sound health-related programs and interventions for youth and families;

A belief in the value of community collaboration;

A positive outlook toward tackling challenges; and,

An ability to share leadership with others and relate to a wide variety of people.

The Feast for the Future CAB should be comprised of a diverse group of individuals including, but not limited to:

Tribal leaders

Healthcare providers focused on youth and/or nutrition and obesity prevention

Farmers/gardeners

Elders

Medical providers including Traditional Healers

School nurses and counselors

School teachers and administrators

Youth representatives

Faith representatives (from all backgrounds, including traditional healers)

Parents

Coaches

Fitness Center staff and managers

Youth organization staff and managers (e.g., Boys and Girls Club)

Police or other law enforcement officials

Business owners and representatives (especially local restaurant and food store managers)


2. Identify potential CAB members. a. As much as possible, members of the CAB should either work in, or reside in, the

community in which the program will be implemented. CAB membership should also reflect the cultural, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the community.

b. If needed, contact tribal council and/or other local leadership to identify potential CAB members.

c. Anticipate potential attrition of CAB members; consider recruiting approximately 20 members for a finalized board of 8-10 members.

3. Identify a time and place for an initial CAB meeting. a. Choose a time that is most convenient for people and offer incentives for attending the

meeting (i.e., a meeting held during the lunch hour with provided lunch).

4. Invite potential CAB members to the initial meeting. a. Find a way to invite potential CAB members that works for your community. One strategy

may be to prepare an invitational letter summarizing the Feast for the Future Program and the purpose and goals of the CAB, mailing the letter, and then following up via telephone to confirm whether or not the potential CAB member will participate.

5. Facilitate the initial CAB informational meeting. Develop an agenda for the initial CAB meeting that works in your community. A sample agenda follows; this should be revised to best fit your community:

a. Introduce the Feast for the Future initiative, interested stakeholders and community partners, funding source(s), tribal leadership, and leading agencies.

b. Outline the commitment and responsibilities of the CAB: i. CAB members must be available to commit 2-4 hours of time per month,

including preparing for and attending the monthly Board meetings. Board members will also be welcome and encouraged to attend other Feast for the Future events and activities.

ii. CAB members will be tasked with the following specific responsibilities: 1. Act in the best interest of the communities being served. 2. Work to engage community participation. 3. Attend all CAB meetings. 4. Prepare for all CAB meetings, including reviewing meeting materials

and documents. 5. Attend workshops, member training and any other special meetings

scheduled. 6. Promote the mission and goals of the Feast for the Future Program. 7. Guide the development of the curricular materials and evaluation

materials for the Feast for the Future Program. 8. Share additional information on CAB responsibilities specific to your

site. c. Share information on ways the CAB members will be supported, potentially including:

i. The Program Coordinator will facilitate and support all aspects of the work of the Board.

ii. CAB orientation, training and technical assistance will be provided as needed. iii. Mileage and per diem reimbursement may be available for out-of-town

meetings and trainings.


iv. Meals or refreshments may be provided during meetings. v. If meetings are scheduled during the work week, the Program Coordinator can

work with employers to allow CAB members to attend meetings as part of their duties.

d. Facilitate a brainstorming session to identify potential best practices to shape the program to meet the community’s needs.

6. Set up a CAB meeting schedule for the year with CAB members.

Create a schedule for regular CAB meetings. During the start-up phase it is recommended the CAB meet at least once per month. After the programs have been launched and are operating smoothly, the CAB may meet bi-monthly or quarterly, depending on program needs.

7. Go through the community checklist guide provided in the next section.

This checklist will inform the CAB’s vision for the community, specific program components, and strategies to work towards developing and evaluating the Feast for the Future Program in your community.

8. As the CAB finalizes potential programs, consider program-specific CAB subgroups.

Facilitating project decisions with the entire CAB may require substantial time. Smaller program-specific groups of 3-4 CAB members dedicated to guiding each program (Edible School Garden Program, Farmers Market, etc.) may make each program run more efficiently, and can facilitate smoother board meetings, although can result in more total meetings for facilitators.

Checklists to Determine Program Components

The six Feast for the Future program components are: Edible School Garden Program; Traditional Foodways Education Program; Community Gardens, Orchards and Greenhouses; Farmers Markets; Farmers Workshops; and Family Gardens. These components can be implemented separately or together.

Use the following questions to help identify which program components could be implemented in your community. Check off whether or not your community has the essentials needed for implementing each program component. Once the feasible components have been identified, look at the descriptions of each program to see if it would be appropriate for your community.

1. Are there farmers in your community? No Farmers Markets and Farmers Workshops may not be appropriate program

components in your community Yes

Do those farmers have produce that they could sell to your community? No Yes Farmers Markets may be an appropriate program component in your

community Do those farmers want additional information to strengthen their capacity?

No Yes Farmers Workshops may be an appropriate program component in

your community


2. Are there community members interested in learning/practicing traditional food production? No Family Gardens and Community Gardens/Orchards/Greenhouses may not be

appropriate program components in your community Yes

Do they have personal plots that would be suitable to use as gardens? No Yes Family Gardens may be an appropriate program component in your

community Are there large community spaces suitable to use as community gardens, orchards,

or greenhouses? No Yes Community Gardens/Orchards/ Greenhouses may be an appropriate

program component in your community

3. Is there interest in your community in promoting healthy foods and nutrition among youth? No The Edible School Garden Program and Traditional Foodways Education Program

may not be appropriate program components in your community Yes

Is there support and garden space for a school-based program for elementary school youth?

No Yes Edible School Garden Program

Is there support and space for youth to learn about traditional foodways? No Yes Traditional Foodways Education Program

Feast for the Future Program Component Descriptions

The following sections describe each of the Feast for the Future programs. A series of interactive webpages on the Feast for the Future website (http://caih.jhu.edu/programs/feast-for-the-future/) are available to guide implementation of each program. Once your community and Community Advisory Board have decided which program(s) they would like to adopt, read through the short description below, and then consult the interactive webpage for each component to guide your program development.

1. Edible School Garden Program

The Edible School Garden (ESG) program consists of implementing and nurturing school gardens, and teaching school-based lessons to 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade students. A separate Edible School Garden Implementation Guide and all curricular materials are available on the Feast for the Future website (http://caih.jhu.edu/programs/feastforthefuture/edible-school-garden/).

Check off whether your community has the resources to implement the Edible School Garden Program:

Community and school support for an in-school or after-school program with 3rd, 4th, and 5th grade youth

Classroom space for teaching the curriculum Garden space for building a garden Additional space near garden to add compost, greenhouse, outdoor learning structure, and

other elements desired to support the garden

http://caih.jhu.edu/programs/feast-for-the-future/

http://caih.jhu.edu/programs/feastforthefuture/edible-school-garden/


A school staff member or other person(s) available to build and maintain a garden at the school

An instructor available and willing to teach weekly lessons for each grade level If the instructor is unfamiliar with traditional gardening farming practices, additional guest

instructors will also be needed

2. Traditional Foodways Education Program

Each Traditional Foodways Education Program curriculum consists of community-specific lessons typically taught in the spring, summer, and fall. The interactive webpage guides each community to develop their own Traditional Foodways Education Program. The website also includes sample curricula from Santo Domingo Pueblo, Tuba City (Navajo Nation), and White Mountain Apache.

Access the webpage here: http://caih.jhu.edu/programs/feastforthefuture/traditional-foodways-education-program/

Use the following checklist to determine if your community has the resources to implement the Traditional Foodways Education Program: A community member or staff member who is able to create the curriculum to include your

community’s traditional foodways Land allocated for your traditional foodways (e.g., farm, orchard, harvesting area, etc.) Youth interested in being part of the program An instructor (farmers and/or elders) knowledgeable in traditional foodways who is available

and willing to teach weekly lessons for youth Transportation to and from the program on a weekly basis

3. Community Gardens/Orchards/Greenhouses

This program provides community members with space and instruction to grow and consume

fresh fruits and vegetables, and promotes physical activity. This program can be adapted to

strengthen existing traditional food growing practices, reintroduce traditionally grown crops,

and/or introduce families to new fruits and vegetables appropriate to your region and community.

The community garden will most likely be the venue for the Traditional Foodways Education

Program. The interactive webpage guides each community to develop their own community

gardens/orchards/greenhouses.

Access the webpage here: http://caih.jhu.edu/programs/feastforthefuture/community-gardens

Use the following checklist to determine if your community has the resources to implement Community Gardens/Orchards/Greenhouses:

Lead agency/organization/individual willing to coordinate and manage all aspects of the program

Additional organizations/individuals willing to take responsibility for each identified need (i.e. planting, weeding, irrigating, harvesting, winter tending, etc.)

A donated or purchased space suitable for a community farm/garden/orchard Community members interested in learning and practicing farming/gardening skills Community member or staff member is who is able to create a plan to develop the community

space

http://caih.jhu.edu/programs/feastforthefuture/traditional-foodways-education-program/

http://caih.jhu.edu/programs/feastforthefuture/traditional-foodways-education-program/

http://caih.jhu.edu/programs/feastforthefuture/community-gardens


Funding for appropriate equipment, materials, and supplies, potentially including start plants, seeds, hoes, gloves, etc.

Resources for equipment-related needs, such as storage and inventory

4. Farmers Markets

Farmers Markets have the potential to bring activity into community gathering spaces, increase income for farmers/suppliers, and increase community access to locally grown and produced foods such as fruits, vegetables, meat, and prepared foods. They can also increase a sense of community, improve connections between farmers and community members, and increase the cultivation and consumption of local foods. The interactive webpage guides each community to develop their own Farmers Markets.

Use the following checklist to determine if your community has the resources to implement Farmers Markets:

Lead agency/organization/individual willing to coordinate the Farmers Market Space in the community to host the Farmers Market Farmers interested in selling their produce at the Farmers Market Community members interested in purchasing produce at the Farmers Market Funding to purchase appropriate supplies, potentially including tables, signs, etc.

5. Farmers Workshops

Farmers Workshops can be tailored to your community’s needs to strengthen the capacity of local farmers and food producers. Gatherings of farmers at workshops can provide information about traditional food production, methods to increase yield, regulations impacting local sale of produce, etc. The interactive webpage guides each community to develop their own Farmers Workshops.

Access the webpage here: http://caih.jhu.edu/programs/feastforthefuture/farmers-workshops/

Use the following checklist to determine if your community has the resources to implement Farmers Workshops:


Space appropriate for workshops to be held Farmers interested in learning about farming practices Farmers/experts willing to teach workshops Funding to purchase appropriate supplies, potentially including samples to hand out at

workshops, material to conduct workshop effectively, stipends for instructors, etc.

6. Family Gardens

This program is a resource for community members and families to start their own backyard

gardens. It is intended to support community members in building the skills necessary to grow and

cultivate their own gardens while fostering increased physical activity, increased access to

different varieties of fruits and vegetables, and improved diet. This program can be adapted to

http://caih.jhu.edu/programs/feastforthefuture/farmers-workshops/


strengthen existing traditional food growing practices, reintroduce traditionally grown crops,

and/or introduce families to new fruits and vegetables appropriate to your region and community.

The interactive webpage guides each community to develop their own family gardens program.

Access the webpage here: http://caih.jhu.edu/programs/feastforthefuture/family-gardens/

Use the following checklist to determine if your community has the resources to implement Family Gardens:


Families with space appropriate for a garden Community members interested in learning and practicing gardening skills An individual from the lead agency/ organization willing to visit each family selected to

participate in the program to guide development of the gardens and provide ongoing support Funding to purchase appropriate supplies, potentially including start plants, seeds, hoes,

gloves, etc.

http://caih.jhu.edu/programs/feastforthefuture/family-gardens/


Section 4. Program Evaluation Strategies

Evaluation Results

The Feast for the Future Program in Santo Domingo Pueblo, Tuba City (Navajo Nation) and White Mountain Apache Tribe has been evaluated in three different ways: Edible School Garden Surveys: Over a period of four years (fall 2012 – spring 2016), annual pre-mid-post surveys with youth in the Edible School Garden Program show statistically significant improvements in nutrition and gardening knowledge among boys and girls across all grade levels, with the most improvement seen in 3rd grade. Results also showed improvements in positive nutrition attitudes across all grade levels. Qualitative Evaluation: In fall 2013 a two-pronged qualitative study was conducted to assess the impact of the Feast for the Future Program on youth, farmers, elders and community stakeholders. Youth participated in a PhotoVoice evaluation (Catalani & Minkler, 2010; Wang & Burris, 1997; Wang, 1999), and in-depth interviews were conducted with adults. In the PhotoVoice study, across all three sites students talked about local farming/gardening traditions as both producing healthy food, and as important to continuing their culture. Youth shared that the Edible School Garden and Traditional Foodways Education Programs support culture and identity through farming/gardening education. The youth hoped farming/gardening traditions would persist and grow, and some were especially proud of their abilities to grow their own food. Youth from all sites shared that knowing their traditions through the Feast for the Future programs is important to their well-being, and that gardens/farms helped to keep their culture alive. In-depth interview participants shared rich stories of their experiences growing and gathering food, their positive involvement with the Feast for the Future programs, and their hopes for the future of their communities. Respondents reported that their health had personally benefited from the Feast for the Future programs through creating a greater awareness of healthy foods, and providing better nutrition for themselves and their families. In all three communities, farming and gardening was perceived as central to cultural identity, a part of the culture, or a method to instruct culturally relevant values and practices. Most respondents shared that their food systems had changed significantly from those of their ancestors, and that their communities were no longer eating healthy food. Interviewees expressed that their collective sense of identity, connection to the land, and health were being forgotten with the loss of farming, gardening, hunting, and gathering practices. Mixed Methods Evaluation: In summer 2016 a rigorous mixed methods study was conducted in the three indigenous communities, which consisted of:

- Quantitative surveys with youth and farmer/elder instructors in the Traditional Foodways Education Program;

- Focus groups with youth, teachers, adult community members, and Community Advisory Board members who participated in the Feast for the Future Program; and

- In-depth interviews with School Administrators involved in the Feast for the Future Program.


Preliminary results of survey of farmers/elders revealed that the TFEP instructors were experts in traditional knowledge, and shared that TFEP had a positive impact on both the youth and the instructors. The farmers/elders felt that TFEP is good at connecting youth with elders in the community, helps young people feel proud of their Native background, and helps keep their traditions and culture alive, in addition to making the instructors want to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables. Respondents shared that the best parts of TFEP had been connecting with youth, transferring culture from elders to youth, teaching youth, and the opportunity for learning/re-learning traditional ways. As one individual shared: “Thank you for your services, hard work and being there to teach. I strongly believe that our community members open up their knowledge to pass on our farming history. I've seen the youth with smiles, laughter, their thoughts before planting. Our elders share this knowledge in oral history and vision. I've enjoyed my involvement. Thank you.” Preliminary results of surveys with youth involved in TFEP indicated that the youth felt they learned a lot from being in the program, including learning about gardening, traditional cultural practices, and healthy foods. Most respondents reported high levels of confidence in traditional knowledge, positive attitudes towards healthy eating, gardening, and traditional foodways, and a strong sense of self-efficacy to continue gardening/farming. Youth respondents reported overwhelmingly positive experiences in TFEP, writing-in comments about TFEP fun, hands-on gardening activities, eating, learning about health, and traditional/cultural/community activities. The results of the focus groups and in-depth interviews are currently being analyzed and will be completed and added to this manual in winter 2017.

Purpose and Aims of Evaluation

Evaluation is a tool to monitor that programs are achieving your goals.

Implementing a needs assessment before starting the Feast for the Future Program can help to understand community priorities and needs, and make sure that program impacts, successes, and areas for growth are noted.

Evaluation can provide feedback to the Community Advisory Board and key stakeholders to point out what is working well and what could be improved upon.

Evaluation can include documenting and monitoring data to ensure the programs are going as planned (i.e., number of farmers at Farmers Workshops, number of youth participants at each Traditional Foodways Education Program session, etc.), as well as collecting and monitoring data to gauge progress on long-term outcomes (such as obesity rates, BMIs, food access in the community, etc.).

Evaluation is designed to answer specific, measurable questions, for example: o What is the impact of the Feast for the Future Program on the health and well-being of

participants? o How has the Feast for the Future program impacted food access and food security in our

community? o How has the Feast for the Future impacted community members’ perceptions of

connection to agriculture and cultural traditions? o Do farmers who have participated in Farmers Workshops feel the workshops are

beneficial? Do the farmers incorporate information they have learned into their own farming?


o Have youth involved in the Edible School Garden program improved their knowledge, attitudes and behaviors around nutrition and gardening over the school year?

o How do youth involved in the Traditional Foodways Education Program feel about the impact of the program on their health, connectedness to culture, connectedness to agriculture/ farming, and their community?

Guide to Evaluating Feast for the Future Programs in Your Community

Steps in the Evaluation Process

Determine what questions your team would like to have answered before, during, and after the FFF programs are started. What are your community’s goals for the programs? Answering these questions is your evaluation! Identify specific, measureable questions that will guide your evaluation. At a minimum, process data should be collected to track program activities on a daily and weekly basis. This will be important for reporting back to the community (and to funders, if any) on how the program is meeting goals.

Who will your team need to talk with to answer your questions? Choose who your team would like to talk with to answer each of the evaluation questions (i.e., farmers might be the best group to talk with about whether they have enough produce to sell, youth involved in the TFEP and ESG might be the best group to talk with about their experiences in those programs, etc.).

Design the evaluation with the target audience in mind, considering: o Language

Should the questions be written? Should the questions be spoken? What language should the questions be asked in?

o Culture Can questions be asked directly? What ways would be most comfortable for respondents to answer honestly? What are indigenous research methodologies in the local community?

o Context Does the target population have internet access for an online survey? Who would be reached by your evaluation method and who would not be reached?

How will your team ask the questions? Identify an evaluation design and choose methods that are appropriate for the target audience, potentially considering:

o Writing down questions and inviting people to share their answers (surveys) o Asking a group of people to come together to talk (focus group) o Talking with one person about their perspective and experiences (in-depth interviews) o Looking at articles that have been written before to see how other people answered your

team’s question (literature reviews) o Working with your community in an innovative way to gather their feedback (PhotoVoice

or digital storytelling) o Designating a member of your team to record certain aspects of a program, like the

number of farmers at each farmers market, or the number of youth at east TFEP session (staff records)


Write down all the evaluation questions your team would like to ask each group of people (i.e., youth, farmers, elders, etc.).

o Pay careful attention to culturally-specific manners of asking questions. Questions that ask directly for negative feedback (i.e., what don’t you like?) are not appropriate to answer in some cultures.

o Pre-test all evaluation tools with members of the target group who are willing to provide critical feedback to make sure the questions are appropriate. Change the evaluation tools in response to their feedback, if needed.

Identify the people or individual who will do the data summary/analysis and make sure that they will be able to thoroughly analyze the collected data.

Seek approval from the Tribe and Institutional Review Board(s) for all evaluation activities.

Carry out the evaluation. o Identify individuals who will do each part of the evaluation, whether conducting interviews,

handing out and collecting surveys, or facilitating a PhotoVoice project – local community members may be more effective at doing this part of the evaluation than individuals from outside the community.

o Train all individuals who will be part of the evaluation to make sure that everyone has the same understanding of how, when, and what they will do to gather answers to your team’s questions.

Record the information you’ve learned. o If your information is collected on paper or through interviews, it may need to be

transcribed or entered into a spreadsheet to be summarized/analyzed. o Work with the person/people who will summarize all the information to make sure they

have what they need.

Summarize/analyze the data. o Share all data summaries with the community and Community Advisory Board to inform

their next steps, and for their interpretations of the data. o Work with the person who will be summarizing the information to make sure that they

have all the transcriptions, pictures, spreadsheets, or whatever they need. o Some software can help with summarizing and analyzing information, but only if a person

is familiar with those program. Some of this software includes: Excel Quantitative software packages like Stata, SPSS, or SAS Qualitative software packages like Atlas.ti or NVIVO

Evaluation Examples

Tracking information on each of the Feast for the Future Program components: o Question: How many youth, adults, and elders/farmers, have been engaged in each

program in each of the three communities per year?


o Method: Staff collects information on each program event in a tracking log, including the type of event, and the number of adults, youth, and elders/farmers who attended (a sample tracking log is included on the website).

o Summary: The total number of participants, and average number per event, is summarized in Microsoft Excel for each program by type of participant (e.g. youth, adults, elders/farmers).

Youth information learned in the Edible School Garden Program: o Question: Have youth involved in the Edible School Garden Program experienced changes

in nutrition and gardening knowledge, attitudes, and/or behaviors related to nutrition and gardening?

o Method: Youth take a written survey appropriate for their grade-level at three time points at the start, middle, and end of each school year (a sample survey for each ESG-instructed grade level is included on the website).

o Summary: Results from each student’s before and after survey for each semester is compared to determine individual changes in knowledge and an average change in knowledge for each semester, reported by school class and grade.

Youth perspectives on the Edible School Garden Program (ESG) and Traditional Foodways Education Program (TFEP):

o Question: How do youth involved in ESG and TFEP think about their food systems and the impact of the ESG and TFEP programs on their health, connectedness to traditions/ culture and connectedness with farming?

o Method: A qualitative evaluation method called PhotoVoice (Catalani & Minkler, 2010; Wang & Burris, 1997; Wang, 1999) that includes a variety of hands-on activities to engage youth in critical observations about their food systems including taking pictures and preparing presentations on what they want their communities to know about the food system (a sample PhotoVoice evaluation guide is included on the website).

o Summary: PhotoVoice sessions are recorded and transcribed. Transcriptions, photos, and final presentations are coded and analyzed for common themes in Atlas.ti. Results are summarized as common themes, and themes in each site.

Adult perspectives on the Edible School Garden Program (ESG) and Traditional Foodways Education Program (TFEP)

o Question: How do adults involved in ESG and TFEP think about the impact of the programs? o Methods: In-depth interviews with farmers, elders, and CAB members (sample interview

guides are included on the website). o Summary: Transcriptions from the in-depth interviews are coded and analyzed for common

themes in Atlas.ti. Common themes overall, and themes within each site, are summarized.


Conclusion

Feast for the Future is a culturally-relevant set of six program components designed specifically for American Indian communities. This manual encourages Native communities to adapt the programs to their cultural traditions to promote traditional food revitalization, reduce diabetes and obesity, and support wellness. It is an honor and privilege to provide this comprehensive program to interested affiliates. We are grateful to share in your mission to improve the health and well-being of your communities.

For additional information or technical assistance, please contact [email protected] or 505-797-3305.

mailto:[email protected]


References

Bandura, A. (2001). S OCIAL C OGNITIVE T HEORY : An Agentic Perspective. Annual Review of Psychology, 52, 1–26.

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an Experimental Ecology of Human Development. American Psychologist, 32(7), 513–531. http://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.32.7.513

Catalani, C., & Minkler, M. (2010). Photovoice: A Review of the Literature in Health and Public Health. Health Education & Behavior, 37(3), 424–451. http://doi.org/10.1177/1090198109342084

Contento, I. R. (2007). Nutrition Education: Linking Research, Theory and Practice. Boston: Jones and Bartlett.

Prochaska, J. O., Redding, C. A. & Evers, K. E. (2015). The Transtheoretical Model and Stages of Change. In & K. V. Glanz, K., Rimer, B. L. (Ed.), Health Behavior: Theory Research and Practice (pp. 125–147). San Francisco, CA: Josey-Bass.

Wang, C., & Burris, M. a. (1997). Photovoice: concept, methodology, and use for participatory needs assessment. Health Education & Behavior, 24(3), 369–387. http://doi.org/10.1177/109019819702400309

Wang, C. C. (1999). Photovoice: A Participatory Action Research Strategy Applied to Women’s Health. Journal of Women’s Health, 8(2), 185–192.

implementation guide - johns hopkins university...2017/07/21 · faith representatives (from all...

Documents